Apparatus for collapsing flexible containers



April 14, 1936.` F@ R, MCCONNON 2,037,138

APPARATUS FOR COLLAPSIG FLEXIBLE CONTAINERS .Invenzozn fiffs www@ April 14, 1936, F. R. MccoNNoN 2,037,138

APPARATUS FOR COLLAPSLNG FLEXIBLE CONTAINERS Filed Sept. 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 -Izzvezzfozz Freq/RJC' Hannon.

Jer/s zfnorney.

Patented Apr. 14, 1936 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR COLLAPSING FLEXIBLE CONTAINERS Fred R. McConnon, West Los Angeles, Calif. Application september 25, 1935, serial No. 42,015

2 claims. (ci. zel- 60) This invention relates to a means for dischargvention may appear from the accompanying ing kthe contents of exible containers such as drawings and detailed description thereof.

collapsible tubes and the like, and the principal The accompanying drawings illustrate my inobject is to provide an apparatus of neat and vention, in which: pleasing appearance that can be detachably con- Figure 1 is a front elevation of an appara- 5 nected to the casing of a table, toilet cabinet or tus constructed in accordance with `this invensupport of a surgical operating table and opi ton; fragmentally showing a collapsible tube erated to discharge suitable amounts of. the contherein and also showing by dotted lines toothtents of the containers onto the brushes, bandbrushes supported by theapparatus.

lo ages, or rubbing massaging appliances without Fig. 2 is a plan view of the-apparatus showlo the operators hand coming into contact with the two suction cups for detachably atthem or their contents. taching it to a support such as the casing of To that end l'provide an apparatus with a pair a toilet cabinet. of rubber suction cups that are arranged to sup- Fig 3 is a Central Vertical ScciOIl 011 line 3 3,

l5 port it handy to an operator so that after a con- Fig- 1, ShOWiIlg ragmentally a Cellapsible tube 15 tainer is attached it can be sterilized before bein pcsiicn t0 discharge part 0f its COIiiieIltS 0n ing opened to discharge its contents, after which a fooLh-brush. it need not be touched again until all of its con- Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmental section on tents is discharged, thereby minimizing the danline 4 4 Fig. 1 ShOWiIig the detailed COIlStIucger of infection when patients are being treated tion 0f 011e 0f the bearings fOl SuppOltiDg the 20 for infectious ailments. pressure rollers.

This apparatus is especially adapted for use of Fig- 5 iS a CIOSS sectiOIi 0n line 5 5, Fig- 4, surgeons, doctors and nurses while treating ma- Sli-Owing further detailSlOf the bearings fOr Supjor cases of sealdings and burns in which the porting the pressure rollers.

2,-, entire contents of several collapsible tubes of pain Fig. 6 is a front View of a modified form of 2s allaying and antiseptic material are to be disapparatuschar'ged onto .the bandages before applying to s Flg- 7 is a clOss SecliOIl 011 line 7 1, Fig. 6,

a patient; and it is obvious that the contents shcWI-fng my apparatus detachably COIiIleCted by of the tubes can be discharged withgreat speed Sllctien clips t0 a Support Such aS a Wall 0I the and without contamination. casing of a toilet cabinet. 30

It is obvious that my apparatus can also be Fig- 3 iS a plan VieW 0f the apparatus. of great use by beauty parlor operators, barbers Fig- 9 iS all end 'veW analOgOlls t0 Fig- 7 ShOW- and individuals, as well as for domestic use in ine my apparatus employed in domestic use for squeezing the juice from the pu1p of fruit when squeezing the juice out of fruit pulp in a flexible in exible containers, container in which instance the apparatus is 35 A feature of invention is shown in the con- CODStlllcted 0D a much larger Scale than When struction and mounting of the bearings for the used for collapsing tubes and the like. pressure rollers, whereby a battery of springs is Fg- 10 iS a mcdied end VieW 0f the Tight hand arranged adjacent the ends of the roller shafts pOltiOIl of Fis-7p1rts emitted.

40 to hold the pressure rollers under tension, which The apparatus Sl'lOWrl in FigS- 1 t0 5, inclusive, 40 tension can be leasily increased or decreased by includes a plaie l5 t0 Which a pal 0f spaced end adjusting screws; with the' parts constructed land blccks i6 is scllleil, as bylscldelins, and cXteIidarranged so they can be easily and quickly asing through the plate l5 and inte these blceks sembled and also Vdisxnounted for cleaning and are the threaded anchor screws il to which the sterilizing when necessary. pair of rubber suction cups I8 is secured, as best 45 Another feature of invention is shown in proshown in Figs. 2 and 4. viding an apparatus that can be held by a pair The cups I8 are secured to the plate I5 so that of suction cups detachably connected to a sup- When they are placed against a suppOlt I9, Such 'port handy to an operator; and also provided as the casing of a toilet cabinet or surgical operwith a small plate having screw holes through ating table indicated fragmentally in the draw- 50 it sothe suction cups can be disconnected and ings, and the air exhausted from the cups by the apparatus permanently secured by screws pressure, they Will eTeCtiVely Support the appato the casing of a toilet cabinet or other suitratus until the suction is released. able support. A pair of pressure rollers 20, 2l, that are pref- Other objects, advantages and features of inerably formed of corrugated hard rubber, is se- 55 ends of these shafts are extended through the sets of sliding split bearings 24 and.25 in the posts 26, 21, there being apost at each end of the plate I 5; but for the sake of brevity only the post 26 is shown in complete detail in Fig. 4; both posts being constructed alike.

The posts 26, 21 are-formed of the spaced inner pair of plates 28 thatare arranged on opposite sides of the blocks I6 and have flanges 29 that are preferably welded to the plate I5, so they extend out from the plate on a side opposite to that on which the suction cups are secured.

Telescoping over the pairs of plates 28 are the yoke plates 39 that preferably have their inner ends secured by the cotter pins 3| to the plates 28 and blocks I6, as best shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

- The outer ends of the yoke plates 30 have threaded bosses 32 through which the screws 33 are extended so their inner ends contact with the split bearing blocks 25.

The blocks I 6 are provided with socket seatsI 34 for the inner ends of the parts of springs 35 that have their other ends engaged with the sliding split bearing 24; the screws 33 and pairs of springs are arranged so that any suitable amount of pressure can be applied to normally hold the pressure rollers 2), 2| engaged and so they can yield suiiiciently so the sealed end 35 of a col-v to draw a collapsible tube up between the rollers as illustrated in the drawings.

It is obvious that when a tube 31 is placed in the apparatus to have its contents 39 discharged onto any object, such as a tooth-brush 4|, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the usual cap 42 of the tube will be removed from the discharge stem 43; also it is obvious that instead of a tooth brush 4I the contents can be discharged on a surgical bandage or any other like object, as hereinbefore stated.

In the apparatus shown in Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, the construction is greatly simplified by forming the sets of split bearings |24 and |25 integral with the ends of a pair of hair spring supports 44 that are secured Aby bolts 45 to boxes |26 and |21 that are at the ends of the plate I5 and integral therewith and on the front side thereof opposite to the side on which the pair of suction cups I8 are secured.

When the shafts 22, 23 are to be placed in the split bearings |24, |25, the front arms of the pair of springs 44 are drawn forward as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 7 so they can be easily inserted; and after they are in place the tension of the springs will hold the shafts in place with the pressure rollers normally engaged.

It is obvious that the pressure rollers will separate when a flexible container'is forced upward between them by actuating the knurled knob 38.

In'Fig. 9 I show my apparatus constructed for domestic use such as squeezing the juice 46 out of hot fruit pulp 41 in a iiexible bag 48 indicated semi-diagrammatically in the drawings. When so constructed the suction cups I8 are omitted and cured on the respective shafts 22, 23, so that the in their place the plate I5 is secured by bolts 49 to the top end oi' a bracket 58 that at its lower end terminates in a clamp 5| adapted to be detachably secured to the ledge of a table 52 so it suspends my apparatus or supports it in an elevated position a sumcient distance above the table to form a clearance between a bowl 53 and the bag 48.

'I'he plate I5 is provided with the bolt holes 54 for the bolts 49.

When so constructed I preferably provide the shaft 22 with a crank 55 so that greater pressure can be applied for squeezing the fruit juice out of the fruit pulp; and the crank is turned in the direction of the arrows when applying pressure to the pulp in the bag.

The bag .48 is preferably formed of strong canvas that is sufllciently porous to permit the juices to easily escape and fall into the bowl.

The bag 48 and many of the parts in Fig. 9

are shown semi-diagrammatically, it being understood that the bag can be formed of any suitable material.

The apparatus is used as hereinbefore fully described.

In Fig. 10 a slightly modified form of box 226 is shown for supporting the hair pin spring support 44; and as seen therein the boxes are separate from the plate I5 and are secured thereto by rivets 5S and also the box 22S is provided with a false bearing 51 to reinforce the bearing |24. For the sake of brevity only a single box 226 is shown, it being understood that there are two of these boxes arranged at opposite ends of the plate I5.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus of the class described the combination of, a plate, a pair of rubber suction cups secured to one side of said plate for detachably connecting it to a support, a pair of posts secured to the other side of said plate at the ends thereof, sets of sliding bearings in said posts, shafts in said bearings, corrugated hard rubber rollers on said shafts, springs in said posts for engaging one set of said bearings to normally hold said rollers engaged and to apply pressure said sets of springs, and means for actuating said rollers to discharge the contents of flexible containers as they are passed upward between said rollers.

2. Inan apparatus of the class described the combination of a plate, a pair of rubber suction cups secured to one side of said plate for detachably connecting it to a support, a pair of posts secured to the other side of said plate at the ends thereof, sets of sliding bearings in said posts, shafts in said bearings, corrugated hard rubber rollers on said shafts, springs in said posts for engaging one set of said bearings to normally hold said rollers engaged and to apply pressure thereto when separated, adjusting screws in the ends of said posts for engaging the other set of bearings to increase or decrease the tension on said sets of springs, an extension to one of said rollers, and a knurled knob on said extension for rotating said shaft to actuate said rollers for the purpose specified.

FRED R. MCCONNON. 

